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Saturday
27Feb2010

Bibbler Tripod Bivy

This is not a full blown review, but more a cursory glance at this product.  After much debate, I opted to go with the Bibbler Tripod Bivy over the others.  Unfortunately for me, at the time, I had to make this decision based on reviews and not on first hand experience.  As much as I tried, I simply could not find anyone in my  location that had a selection of Bivy's to try.

So, in short, this is an amazing product.  I have now slept in it more than my tent on this current trip.  I have been in torrential rains, near freezing temps, and stuff right in the middle.  It took me a couple of times setting it up to find a 'system' and now it is just a breeze.  Sets up and takes down in minutes.  In the torrential rain, not a drop came in and due to the little overhang, I was able to keep a portion of it open to help with ventilation.  On colder nights I have it completely closed up.  You do get a little condensation on the inside, but I think that is too be expected and reasonable.  When you are able to leave things open just a little, there is good ventilation and condensation is non-existent.

A couple of things that are pointed out in other reviews that I wanted to address.  First, yes, Bibbler does recommend that you seam seal the bivy.  They  don't say you have to, but they do recommend it and provide the seam sealer to do so.  The entire product is tape sealed, so some folks have question why you would need to do this or why you would have to do this on an expensive product like the Tripod.  All I can say is that it provides just that little bit of extra protection and only takes a few minutes.  If Bibbler was saying you had to do and they did not provide the sealer, then I would have a beef.

Second, I am using the Thermarest Neo Air.  I do love this air mattress, but it is thick, and that thickness takes up some prized vertical real estate inside the bivy.  Keep this in mind  if you use the neo air.  A standard 1" pad just feels more comfortable inside the bivy, but I am just adjusting to it.

Lastly, I am about 5'7" and somewhat broad shouldered.  I can't imagine being much bigger that me and being comfortable in the bivy.  There is definitely additional foot room, but if you are proportionally bigger (broad and tall), this is going to be a snug fit.

I absolutely love the product and will try and write a full review later in the trip.  In the meantime based on my current  21 nights of sleeping in it, I highly recommend it!

Saturday
27Feb2010

Superior Kayak - Carbon Fiber GP

I have written several times before about this paddle but I wanted to provide a quick update.  To date, I had not had the chance to paddle with this blade out in the ocean.  In Alaska, in big water, I instead opted for my Werner blade.  However, during the Atlantic Odyssey, I have paddled with my Superior Kayak blade all but a few days of the trip.  I have to say I am really, really pleased with it's performance in the big swell of the ocean.  It performs flawlessly in all types of seas and really does instill a great deal of confidence as you make maneuvering and correction strokes.

I am still not overly  excited about it when paddling in very swift currents or on my Ocean beach launches, but I am continuing to refine my stroke, and see this as a problem with me and not the blade itself.  I plan to paddle the majority of this current 4000 mile trip with the Superior Kayak blade, so I should have lots more to comment on as time goes by.

In the meantime, if you are in the market for a carbon fiber Greenland Paddle, look no further than this amazing blade!!  As before, I continue to give this product my highest recommendation.

Saturday
09Jan2010

Timex Ws4 Expedition Review Coming

I received the Timex Ws4 Expedition watch the other day for review so stay tuned.  This is a new model for Timex and they are really trying to compete with Casio G-Shock/Pathfinder line.  One of the things that I already like about this watch is the large display and the overall simplicity of setting it up and using it.  As you can see in the picture, all of the relevant data is displayed on one large screen.  In this picture, I have the time, the pressure, the temperature, and a nifty little 'weather prediction' icon which is based on the trending barometer.

I took both a Timex Expedition  and a Casio Pathfinder on my last expedition, and they both worked amazingly well and were incredibly important to my success.  I believe that when you are out in the wild, a tough watch with the following key features:  digital timers; digital compass; digital thermometer; digital altimeter; and a solid barometer are essential to your survival. This is exactly what the Ws4 has as it's core components.

I love the Casio Pathfinder watches as they are tough as nails, have solar power, and a wealth of features.  However, that is also their curse, in that they are complicated to use and the small size of the display (necessary to display all of the data) makes them difficult to read.  I am anxious to put this Timex through it's paces and see how it performs. The G-Shock puts the bar very high for expedition watches.

I will have a full review up before I head out on the Atlantic Odyssey.  Of course, I could not resist using my beautiful Superior Kayaks carbon fibre GP as the backdrop for this high tech watch. 

Saturday
09Jan2010

Winkpass and The Knot Guide

The great folks over at Winkpass Creations were kind enough to give me 3 free licenses for their IPhone mobile application, The Knot Guide.  You can read my review in the Gear Journal where I gave it 4/5 stars, or check it out here on their website.  I will give a license out to each of the first three people that contact me.  Thanks to the great folks over at Winkpass!

Friday
08Jan2010

The Knot Guide - Mobile App

Description:

The folks over at Winkpass Creations were kind enough to get  me a copy of their IPhone app, the Knot Guide for a trial run.  For those of you like me that have become addicted to having certain 'mobile' apps with you when you are out in the field, then this is a great addition.  I never have enough room to carry a knot book with me and am always loosing the little fold out Knot Guides, so I went in search of a mobile app  that would help me out.  The Knot Guide is just what I was looking for.

Analysis:

Now, I don't need a ton of knots, but instead the basic selection will do me fine.  The Knot Guide provides more than 78 knots, of which 66 are unique, broken down into 14 categories.  The categories provide a high level description and then each knot has its own detailed description.  It would be nice if this description provided a little more detail about the knot and it's properties.  That is one of the things that I really like about how the knots on The Animated Knot guide are described.  

Once you find the knot you are looking for, detailed images walk you through the process of actually tying the knot.  While I do like the animated knot tying guides found on the web, for a mobile app, this is more than sufficient.  However, were  they to add animation and more detailed descriptions, this would be a 5 star App.

I highly recommend this little app and you just can't beat the price.  This app will now be a permanent part of my Mobile App Gear.

Recommendation:

***** (out of 5)

Winkpass Creations